Joshua Zirkzee has been linked with a move away from Manchester United during the January transfer window – with potential suitors from across Europe.
Manchester United player Joshua Zirkzee could be on his way out with AS Roma now, reportedly, interested in the Dutch international. Previously linked with Sevilla and West Ham United, Roma is the latest club to show interest in the versatile forward.
This isn’t the first time the Giallorossi have been in the running to offer an escape route to a United player. Over the summer, Jadon Sancho was on their radar, but wage demands reportedly scuppered the deal, with a failure to raise funds through a sale a factor, leading to Sancho joining Aston Villa on loan instead.
Sky Sport Switzerland reports that Zirkzee is “open” to taking a pay cut to facilitate a move to the Stadio Olimpico. Another Italian club, AC Milan, are also listed as a potential destination for the forward.
Zirkzee joined United after a successful stint at Bologna – where he helped the squad qualify for the Champions League under Thiago Motta in 2024. A reunion with Motta at Juventus had been suggested, but this fell through when Motta lost his job in Turin in March.
Both Roma and Milan are currently in the Champions League spots in Serie A after 10 matches, but both teams could benefit from additional fire-power. Roma have only managed to score 10 times in the league, so far, while Milan’s striker Santi Gimenez missed their weekend victory over Roma due to injury.
Zirkzee has only managed to clock-up 82 league minutes this season, with his playing time being curtailed by the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. The majority of his game-time came when he was brought on as a first-half substitute for the injured Cunha during a win over Burnley in August.
Despite United’s pursuit of an equaliser against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Zirkzee remained on their bench. The only changes made by Amorim were the introduction of defenders Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, with a late volley from Amad salvaging a point.
A move in January seems to be Zirkzee’s best shot at securing a place in the Netherlands squad for the World Cup – provided the Oranje can secure the necessary results in November to confirm their participation next summer. He was part of the Euro 2024 squad and played four UEFA Nations League matches in 2024, but hasn’t represented his country since starting against Bosnia and Herzegovina nearly a year ago.
United boss Amorim addressed the situation earlier this season – saying about Zirkzee and Napoli target Kobbie Mainoo: “They want to play,” as he added: “Like you said, there’s a World Cup.
“There are agents that listen to the players talking all the time. So, I understand that but they are our players, and we need everyone to have a good season.”
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2025-11-04 17:15:05
